Wild Orchid Children - Elephants

This four-song EP from former Gatsbys American Dream members Kirk Huffman and Kyle O'Quin captures some of the same angular guitar work featured on Gatsbys American Dream's later releases, but brings a decidedly funky feeling to the table.

The first track, "Ahead of Us the Secret," kicks off with Huffman singing "P-p-p-p-put your hands where I can see 'em," instantly drawing the listener in with his distinct vocals, which are reminiscent of the Beastie Boys. The lead vocals are buried under a nice layer of distortion, which works well with the music, but makes the lyrics a bit difficult to decipher. It's hard not to bob your head to the guitar playing, which is sparse and relatively simple, cutting through the mix to make it's statement, and not dwelling too long. Halfway through the song, the keys and guitar take over the prominent rhythm section for a psychedelic break, and after another verse, the song slows down with cleaner vocals repeating over some high pitched chanting, then explodes into the funk-fueled ending.

"Tree of Knowledge" begins with a simple riff and drum beat and then what sounds like an electric organ, before the gang vocals grab your attention with a simple "Hey!" Huffman's screech dominates this song, especially when the music drops out and his rambling comes to the foreground: "Who's giving in when you can't keep that cool? / Dog-paddlin' endless in the same gene pool? / Ten fingers screaming, look what they made me! / Johnny Steve slangin' out of Mickey D's!" The lyrics are social commentary, but seemingly told through a heavy acid trip. This song is surprisingly danceable, and the use of gang vocals through the entire song makes it feel like an impromptu party was going on in the studio.

"Birth of a Cabin" is similar to the last two tracks, with superb instrumentation, and a pretty awesome guitar solo that ends too soon. The song breaks into hand claps, acoustic guitar, and quiet electronic drums, giving a strange beach vibe for a moment, before the rock comes back full force.

"Where the Mexican Boys Go" could almost be a b-side from Portugal. The Man's Church Mouth album. It sounds like a relaxed jam session, with some bongos, tambourines, and a lap steel. The song is a stark contrast to the rest of the albums chaos, and ends the song on a quiet note as Huffman sings, "Take me down where the Mexican boys they go / 'Cause there ain't no woman like the one I know, when she goes on down to the old Soho."

This EP shows a band with diversity, creativity, and talent. Even if it's just a side project for the members, Wild Orchid Children have the potential to outshine many of their peers in the music scene. This is a band to watch out for, and I'm sure future releases will blow minds far and wide.

Microsoft makes HD webcams even more affordable with its LifeCam HD 3000, a successor to the HD 5000. Able to shoot 720p video at a 30 fps frame rate and take 4 megapixel still images, the HD 3000 not only drops its price but it also drops what made the HD 5000 so frustrating: Auto FocusAt a GlanceThe Good: Affordable, clear picture The Bad: Microphone picks up ambient noiseSetupThe HD 3000 is easy to set up and get going. The model nfl beats by dre cheap is plug and play, so just insert the USB cord which is quite long in true LifeCam fashion into a spare USB port. If you'd like to download the accompanying software, you can do so at this time, or you can download it via the included CD. The webcam has a plastic head with a rubber clip to affix to a laptop screen. If you're using a desktop computer, you can mold the clip into a C shaped stand. PerformanceI tested the HD 3000 side by side with the HD 5000 and found that the image quality was nearly identical. Colors are bright and accurate, beats by dre solo and I receive adequate lighting from a single window and an overhead light. There was a bit of a lag when shooting in 720p, as there is with the HD 5000, but it's not long enough to be frustrating. If you are truly bothered by it and don't require HD video, you can always drop the resolution down a bit. The webcam comes with seven preset resolutions. Thankfully, this LifeCam model eliminates Auto Focus a main point of contention with the HD 5000. Although quick moving objects in front of the camera don't cause the HD 3000 to constantly refocus itself, they do trigger the device to shift the displayed lighting the picture jumps to lighter and darker shades. Even so, this is overwhelmingly less noticeable than the HD 5000. As with lady gaga heartbeats the HD 5000, the newer model features Microsoft's new TrueColor Technology. Using the included software lets you adjust brightness, contrast, beats by dre studiosaturation and white balance, among other things. As always, how vivid the colors appear can be affected by the type of monitor or laptop display you have. MicrophoneThe HD 3000's built in noise canceling mic proved to be more sensitive when compared with its predecessor. Both are perfectly adequate for Skyping, but the HD 3000 picked up more background noise. Both microphones claim to be noise canceling, although Microsoft doesn't provide many details on what exactly this means. Noise canceling is a lady gaga heartbeats popular term for microphones you see it a lot in Bluetooth headsets, where it's very important to pick up only the caller's voice and not the noise in the background. The HD 3000 certainly has a sensitive mic, and this probably won't be an issue if you're using the webcam in your mostly quiet home. But it's something to consider if you'll be using the device in a noisier environment where ambient noise could pose a distraction. The Bottom LineAt a 39. 95 MSRP, the HD 3000 is a great buy for an easy to use HD webcam. While it's not perfect re: mic and lag concerns, it's well worth its price tag. Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.